The Bright Sky (The Blazing Fires Book 2)

Chapter 16

The clans gathered at the Three Stones. Today was the day they attack the Clowder. The clans looked nervous and scared. Morningstar stepped up on one of the Three Stones, howling for the clans to listen. "Cats of the clans! This might be the biggest battle you've ever fought, maybe even your last. But we shall succeed! We have StarClan on our side!" She howled. Willetstar and Duststar then stepped up too.

"That is true. We shall win! StarClan will be watching, helping us every step of the way!" Willetstar yowled. 

"Before this battle begins, I would like to hold a ceremony," Morningstar started. "Sparrow, you have expressed your wish to join the clans. From this day forward, you shall be known as Sparrowstripe. StarClan honors everything you've done for the clans,"

"Sparrowstripe! Sparrowstripe!" The clans cheered.

"Now, lead the way, Sparrowstripe." Sparrowstripe dipped his head and started leading the clans. They walked through deep, unfamiliar parts of the forest. They soon arrived outside of a huge, hollowed boulder. The rouges on the lookout howled in alarm, and the rouges from inside charged. "Get them! Kill every last one of them!" A large black she-cat howled. She seemed to be their leader.

"ValleyClan, to the higher ground!" Morningstar led her clan to attack from above, on top of hills. Each cat fought fiercely.

IcyClan then circled the Boulder den, surrounding any cat who tried to escape. A few rouges managed to slip through the defensive line of cats. SwampClan cats were ordered to bring the fight inside, and drive back any cats they could. They managed to push quite a few rouges inside. 

Morningstar then spotted Flamestorm from below. He's been living with the rouges for the past moon, reporting back their every weakness. She watched with pride as her father barreled into a rouge, and threw him aside as if he was a piece of prey. Suddenly, Morningstar felt claws jab her throat. While she was distracted, a rouge snuck up on her. The rouge snickered and scurried away. The ginger leader felt her legs wobble with weakness. The blood gushing out of her throat made her head spin. She collapsed, gasping for air.

"Morningstar!" Yellowflame rushed to her leader's side. "It will be okay, you still have nine lives, right?" Yellowflame panicked.

"Yellowflame..." Morningstar breathed. "I never got my nine lives." She managed to choke out. Yellowflame stared at her, completely shocked. "I never went to the Moon Hollow. I felt like I wasn't worthy of living nine more times when I took the lives of so many." Morningstar closed her eyes. "Lead your clan, Yellowstar," She finally went limp. Yellowflame nodded, trying her strongest to push away her grief for now. She drank in the leader's scent one last time, before joining the battle. 

Each warrior latched on to a rouge, biting and clawing. Sparrowstripe managed to find his way inside. He slipped into the chief's den, grief hitting his heart. Memories of his father flooded back to him. Staring at the wall of pawprints, he padded up to his father's, placing his own paw on the mark. He was quickly snapped out of his head when a hiss sounded from behind him. 

"Well, look who's back," Sparrowstripe spun around. Slasher was right behind him, a smirk spreading on her face. Seeing the vines wrapped around her tail made him even angry. She doesn't deserve to wear the Chief's Vines, He hissed in his head.

The two cats circled each other, before jumping toward each other. Slasher slammed Sparrowstripe into the wall, snarling. Gathering all of his resentment, Sparrowstripe kicked out his back legs. He didn't hesitate to scratch her tail, snapping the vines. Slasher didn't hesitate either, grabbing Sparrowstripe's throat and throwing him out of the den. He nearly fell off the ledge but managed to hang on with his claws. He dangled off, trying to pull himself up.

"You're weaker than your father and sister," Slasher hissed in his ear. His jaw clenched with fury. He hooked his claw into Slasher's neck, pulling her down. Slasher was caught off-guard and had no time to react. Her claws failed to grasp the ledge and she plummeted off the ledge, falling to the middle of the clearing with a thud and a crack. The cats fighting froze in horror as Sparrowstripe pulled himself up.

Sparrowstripe stepped outside, seeing the rouges either dead or disbanded. The clans paused, drinking in their victory. Then, they erupted into cheers and cries of joy. "Cats of the clans!" The clan leaders howled. "This war has ended! Their leader is dead!" The clans howled their gratitude to StarClan.

******

Opening her eyes with a groan, Morningstar gazed down at the plush, damp grass. Brightstar, her mate, was standing in front of her. He purred, "Welcome to StarClan."

"Brightstar!" Rushing over, Morningstar cried into his shoulder. Violetstar was standing behind him, a warm grin on her face. "Why am I in StarClan, you ask? I've harmed a lot of cats."

"The Council of Stars had a lengthy discussion before deciding that you were welcome here because you had changed and regretted your actions," The brown tom explained.

"Where's Paleheart? I need to speak with him," Her rosy eyes searched all about her.

"He is not present. He is currently in the Dark Forest after killing Stemtail " Brightstar added.

"He's in the Dark Forest, but I'm not?" Morningstar's eyes widened. "I can't allow myself to be in StarClan without him. I'm the one responsible for his misdeeds, after all. I won't stay here until he obtains a spot in StarClan,"

Brightstar shrugged, "Well, I guess I could talk to the Council of Stars and attempt to persuade them otherwise."

Morningstar bowed her head and said, "Thank you, my love. "But I want to live in the Dark Forest till then. Paleheart can replace me,"

"W-what?" Brightstar murmured, his voice resonating with shock. Knowing there was no chance of his mate changing his mind, he huffed in defeat. "The cave behind you leads directly to the Dark Forest. Unless a StarClan cat lends the power to another, only StarClan cats can cross the mist barrier on the opposite side. My darling Morningstar, be careful."

"Of course. And please, call me Morningeyes. I'm not worthy of a leader's name." Morningeyes dipped her head before rushing through the cave behind her. The mist borer was cold, almost freezing. But, she pushed through. It took a heartbeat for her eyes to adjust to the darkness. The scent of death and fear hung in the air. She shuddered at the memories she once experienced. Shaking her head, she began to call out. "Paleheart?"

Upon hearing his name, a pale tom peered his head out of a hollowed tree. His pupils shrank with fear as his gaze landed on the familiar ginger she-cat. "Paleheart!" She called out again, bounding toward him. He winced, expecting to be met with claws and teeth. Instead, he was met with the warmth of her pelt leaning against his. "Oh, Paleheart, I'm so sorry," She sobbed.

"Morningeyes..." Confused, Paleheart breathed. "Your fur has stars in it. Are you-"

"Yes, a StarClan cat," muttered Morningeyes. "Despite their forgiveness, I still find it difficult to accept my position while you're in here. So I'm going to give you my placement." The leader put her nose on the forehead of her littermate. "I grant you my place in StarClan," She lost her starry coat and let it drip upon Paleheart's pelt.

Paleheart's eyes shone brightly. "Are you sure? What will you do?"

"The Council of Stars will be debating if we can both have a place. If not, you deserve to be there more than me," Morningeyes mewed. "Now, go, head to StarClan where you belong,"

"Morningeyes," Paleheart struggled to express himself. "Thank you," He said, looking up at the cat he had once feared, before running up to the cave and diving through the mist.